Ashley-Cooper 12

De Villiers 5

Cooper 5

Pienaar 9

South Africa had not beaten Australia at the ground but that hoodoo was broken with three Springboks tries in 10 second-half minutes.

The Wallabies trailed 19-12 after 52 minutes, but Jean de Villiers' try on the hour mark and two quick tries 10 minutes later ultimately sank the hosts.

Irish referee George Clancy angered the Brisbane crowd when he sent Wallabies flanker Michael Hooper to the bin for a lifting tackle on Bryan Habana, before refusing a similar punishment for lock Flip van der Merwe for an apparent shoulder charge on Adam Ashley-Cooper.

Francois Louw was named man of the match in a South African pack that comprehensively dominated the Wallabies in a win that returns the Springboks to the top of the Rugby Championship standings.

Wallabies coach McKenzie - whose record is now three losses in as many matches - blamed poor execution and discipline for the heavy loss.

We had to be disciplined and had to control the ball. They're too good a side to be given free possession but that's what we did.

Ewen McKenzie

"We had moments in there that were good but then we just let them off the hook with poor skill execution at key times," he told Grandstand.

"It took us a while to get in their half. We have to look at ourselves - they played well, they do what they do and they did it well.

"Once we were behind on the scoreboard, we were playing catch-up which is difficult to do.

Poor discipline sinks Wallabies

South Africa went into the half-time break leading 16-6 at half-time after a poor first half from the home side.

The Wallabies struggled to match the South African scrum and the back-row play from the Springboks.

Australia turned possession over nine times in the first half and paid dearly with the boot of Morne Steyn giving the Springboks field position and points.

South Africa drew first blood when replacement prop Coenie Oosthuizen crashed over near the posts from a rolling maul after just five minutes. Steyn's conversion gave the Springboks an early 7-0 lead.

The Springboks were reduced to 14 men two minutes later when back rower Willem Alberts was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-down deep in his own half.

Wallabies inside centre Christian Lealiifano kicked a penalty goal to put Australia on the board from the ensuing penalty.

Steyn then kicked the first of three first-half penalty goals, all from in front of the posts.

The Wallabies' only other first-half points came in the 23rd minute with a second penalty goal to Lealiifano.

The match was well and truly decided on the 60 minute mark when de Villiers released Habana down the left wing as the winger burst forward and kicked into space, before de Villiers fed off the ruck to slide in for a stylish try.

Full-back Zane Kirchner then squirmed through the Wallabies defence seven minutes later, before Willie le Roux pounced on a Quade Cooper handling error to slide home for a try just a minute later as Australia's resistance faded badly.

The Wallabies had made a late change to their bench with Jake Schatz withdrawing from his debut Test the morning of the game with a knee injury. Flanker Liam Gill took his place on the bench.